The poets are thus liberating gods. The ancient British bards had for the title of their order "Those who are free throughout the world." They are free, and they make us free. An imaginative book renders us much more service at first, by stimulating us through it's tropes, than afterward, when we arrive at the precise sense of the author. I think nothing is of any value in books, excepting the transcendental and extrodinary. If a man is inflamed and carried away by his thought, and heeds only this one dream, which holds him like an insanity, let me read his paper, and you may have all the arguments and histories and criticism. All the value which attaches to Pythagoras, Paracleus, Cornelius Aggrippa, Cardan, Keplar, Swedenborg, Schelling, Oken or any other who introduces questionable facts into his cosmology, as angels, devils, magic, astrology, palmistry, mesmerism, and so on, is the certificate we have of departure from routine, and that here is a new witness. That also is the best success in conversation, the magic of liberty, which puts the world, like a ball, in our hands. How cheap even the liberty then seems; how mean to study, when an emotion communicates to the intellect the power to sap and upheave nature: how great the perspective! nations, times, systems, enter and disappear, like threads in tapestry of large figure and many colors; dream delivers us to dream, and while the drunkeness lasts, we will sell our bed, our philosophy, our religion, in our opulence.
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6 comments:
What a great quote. The idea that the poet or writer more free than other people I think is true. When you let your creative side go you are better able at seeing a wider variety of possibilities.
Thanks for stopping by my site!
I totally concure with Christine.
Hey and don't worry about commenting. I'm lurking more because of work ... I UNDERSTAND.
Have a Happy TT
I think that some folks are ... worried about letting themselves get too creative. Don't know why! Thanks for visiting and playing along :-)
I agree that poets are creative and I love my poet friends, but I myself have not yet gotten into poetry. It's one of the many things I need to explore.
i've loved emerson since high-school. he was the first philospher i developed an afinity for.
i too like to collect quotes and find it fun to come across one i copied down years ago.
my TT isn't nearly so philosophical this time. i was lazy this week.
Lovely, and inspiring words! Wish I could meet you in person - what an interesting person and truly great person you are. We are teaching my grandson to journal - what a cool thing to have later on.
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